Game apparatus having a game board and strips spaced from and parallel to the game board thereby providing a three dimensional game board



3,1 31 ,934 s SPACED FROM 2 Sheets-Sheet l R. T. GREEN A THREE DIMENSIONAL GAME BOARD AND PARALLEL TO THE GAME BOARD THEREBY PROVIDING GAME APPARATUS HAVING A GAME BOARD AND STRIP May 5, 1964 Filed Nov. 6,

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INVENTOR. POE 5P7 7 59 y 5, 1954 R. T. GREEN 3,131,934

GAME APPARATUS HAVING A GAME BOARD AND STRIPS SPACED FROM AND PARALLEL TO THE GAME BOARD THEREBY PROVIDING A THREE DIMENSIONAL GAME BOARD Filed Nov. 6, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A QBEQT 76,4 55

United States Patent GAME AEl ARATUS HAVlNG A GAE 71E EGARD AND STRIPS SPACED FRGM ANT) PARALLEL T0 THE GAIM'E BGARD THEREBY PRGVHDING A THREE DIIHENSTGNAL GAR 1E BGARD Robert T. Green, 49% Hawthorne Ave. NE, Salem, Greg. Filed Nov. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 235,776 (Ilaims. ((11. 273-136) This invention relates to game devices, and more particularly to a game apparatus which may be employed to play a three-dimensional game in the nature of a checker game, wherein the game pieces may move between two difierent levels as well as in horizontal planes.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved game apparatus of the type which may be employed for games similar to checkers or chess played in a three-dimensional manner, the appaatus being relatively simple in construction, being compact in size, and being cheap to manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved garne apparatus for a three-dimensional game similar to checkers or chess wherein two playing levels are provided and wherein the game pieces can be moved from one level to another as well as in the same level, the apparatus involving relatively simple components which can be cheaply and ellicient y manufactured, being arranged so that it can be employed as a storage means for its own game pieces, and being durable in construction so that it can be used for a long period of time.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of an improved game apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention shown with some of the game pieces disposed on its lower playing level and other of the game pieces disposed on its upper playing level.

FTGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view, to an enlarged scale, of the game apparatus of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the playing pieces employed with the game apparatus of FIGURES 1 and 2.

FTGUFE 4 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

Referrmg to the drawings, the game apparatus is designated generally atll and comprises a rectangular game board 12 which is provided at its edges with upstanding walls, for example, with the upstanding longitudinal walls 13 and 14 and the upstanding transverse end walls 15' and 16. The upstanding marginal walls 13 to 16 meet at the corners of the board so that they define an enclosure inthe form of a rectangular tray. Secured on he upstanding walls and extendnig from the top edges thereof across the aforesaid tray is a grid'comprising parallel narrow longitudinal-flexible strip members 17 and parallel narrow transverse flexible strip members 18 interwoven with each other and spaced to define substantially identical rectangular playing spaces on the board 12 therebelow. The longitudinal strip elements 17 are spaced apart by the same distances, and the transverse strip elements 18 are likewise spaced apart by the same distances, so that the grid consists of a large number of identical rectangles. The spacing of the longitudinal strip members 17 from the longitudinal walls 13 and 14 is the same as the spacing between the intermediate longitudinal strip members, and the spacing of the endmost transverse strip elements 18 from the transverse end walls 15 and 16 is the same as the spacing between the intermediate transverse strip elements.

3,131,934 Fatented May 5, 1964 ice The longitudinal strips 17 may be a part of a single elongated strip of flexible material, such as flexible plasti strip material, shown at 20. The transverse end walls 15 and it) are formed at their intermediate portionswith apertures 21 which are uniformly spaced along the length of the walls 15 and 16 at spacings equal to the spacings between the strip elements 17. Oneend of the elongated. strip 2b is engaged through the end aperture 21 adjacent the longitudinal wall 13 and is provided with an interior knot 22 which anchors the strip 20 in said end aperture 21. The strip 25 is then threaded through the apertures in the manner illustrated in FIGURES l, 2 and 4, passing over the top edges of the Walls 15 and 16, being alternately engaged through pairs of apertures 21 in the walls 15 and lfiso as to provide alternate holding loops in said end walls 15 and 16, until finally the strip 20 is again anchored adjacent the corner of the tray diagonally opposite the location of the knot 22 by a similar retaining knot 24. As shown in FIGURE 2, the bight portions of the intermediate retaining loops, designated at p 25, are located at the inside surfaces of the transverse end walls 15 and 16. The transverse strip elements 18 are similarly defined by means of a single elongated flexible strip 26 which is secured to the longitudinal side walls 13 and id in the same manner as the strip 20, being engaged through apertures 27 provided in the longitudinal side walls 13 and 14 and being anchored in the same manner as the strip 20, namely, by diagonally opposite anchoring knots 28 and 29. As is shown in FIGURE 2, the transverse strip elements 18- are interwoven with the longitudinal strip elements 17 to define the resultant grid arrangement above described. Thus, there are defined the rectangular playing spaces on the same plane as the grid, as well as rectangular playing spaces located immediately below said'first-mentioned 31 being larger than the width of the spaces defined between the. elements 17, so that the playing pieces 30 may be at times disposed transversely on the grid elements in,

the manner illustrated in FIGURE 2 so as to be supported thereon. Rigidly secured to the center of the base member 31 is an upstanding gripping lug or post 32 which serves as a handle for the playing piece.

reached when the playing piece is disposed on the surface of the board 12, namely, at the lower level of the.

game board.

In a typical arrangement of the game apparatus, there are two sets of game pieces, eachof a different color, for example, two sets of eight pieces of each color, for example, white and blue. Each players forceconsists of eight pieces of a comrnoncolor.

game pieces in alternate spaces at the end of the game board, each player being assigned to one end of the board. Thus each player has eight game pieces, arranged in alternate spaces, the pieces being disposed one above the other in said alternate spaces. Thus, as viewed in FIG- URE l, the pieces of one color will be disposed in the alternate spaces adjacent the wall 15 starting with the second space from the left, there being four pieces on the lower level, namely, on the board 12, and four additional pieces on the upper level, namely, on the grid spaces overlying the first four pieces. Similarly, the pieces of the opposing player will be arranged in a like The, handle 32 is of substantial length so that it can be easily In a typical. game employing the apparatus, each of the players places his,

manner adjacent the end Wall 16, but starting with the first space at the left, namely, the space adjacent the longitudinal wall 14. Thus, each players pieces are in opposite columns across the board so that their diagonal movement can bring them into contact with each other.

According to the rules of a typical game, the players are allowed to move their pieces either in the same plane or from the upper plane to the lower plane, or vice versa in a diagonal manner, as in the well known game of checkers. A piece may be moved diagonally one space forward or backward, up or down into an adjoining vacant space. One players piece may be taken by another play ers piece when the other players piece can'tbe moved into the space occupied by the first-mentioned piece, and

various maneuvers may be performed, corresponding to those in an ordinary checker game, but being much more flexible because of the additional types of movement allowed for the playing pieces due to the three-dimensional character of the game board. According to the aforesaid typical set of rules, the game may be won by the player who whenhaving two or more pieces remaining captures all or all but one of the opponents pieces, or alternative 1 ly, forces'the opposing player into a perpetual jump play wherein the opposing player is compelled to move his piece continuously around a closed loop or closed path. According to this particular set of rules, a stalemate situation may also develop wherein neither player can win.

Obviously, games having a wide variation in rules may be devised employing the game apparatus above described. Due to'the threeedimensional nature of the permissible moves of the game pieces, very interesting and intricate games may be devised.

The game board may be employed as a storage means for the game pieces 30, since said game pieces may be stored in the tray structure defined by board 12 and its upstanding marginal walls 13 to 16.

While a specific embodimentof an improved game apparatus has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilledin the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined bythe scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a rectangular board, upstanding support means at the edges of said board, a grid comprising overlapped parallel narrow longitudinal members and parallel narrow transverse members secured tosaid supportmeans substantially in a common plane parallel to and spaced above said board, defining playing spaces on the board beneath the grid and on the grid,

' and a plurality of game pieces comprising members which can pass through the apertures of the grid and which are of suflicient length to be at times disposed on a pair of said narrow members of said grid, whereby the game pieces can be placed either in playing spaces on the board or on the grid.

2. A game apparatus comprising a rectangular board, upstanding marginal walls at the edges of said board, a grid comprising overlapped parallel narrow longitudinal members and parallel narrow transverse members secured on the top edges of said marginal walls substantially in a common plane parallel to and spaced above said board, defining playing spaces on the board beneath the grid and members which can pass through the apertures of the grid and which are of sutficient length to be at times disposed on a pa r of said narrow members of said grid, whereby the game pieces can be placed either in playing spaces on the board or on the grid. 1

3. A game apparatus comprising a rectangular board, upstanding marginal walls at the edges of said board, a grid comprising overlapped parallel narrow longitudinal members and parallel narrow transverse members secured on the top edges of said marginal walls substantially in a common plane, defining playing spaces on the board beneath the grid and on the grid, and a plurality of game pieces comprising fiat rectangular base members sufliciently narrow to pass through the apertures of the grid and which are of sufllcient length to be at times. disposed said board, defining playing spaces on the board beneath the grid and on the grid, and a plurality of game pieces comprising fiat rectangular base members sufliciently narrow to pass through the apertures of the grid and which are of sufiicient length to be at times disposed on a pair of said narrow members of said grid whereby the game pieces can be placed either in playing spaces on the board or on the grid, and upstanding gripping elements on said base members.

5. A game apparatus comprising a rectangular board, upstanding marginal longitudinal and tranverse end walls at the respective longitudinal side edges and transverse end edges of the board, a grid comprisingoverlapped parallel narrow longitudinal flexible strip members and parallel narrow transverse flexible strip members interwoven with each other and secured on the top edges of said marginal walls substantially in a common plane parallel to and spaced above said board, defining playing spaces on the board beneath the grid and on the grid, the opposing walls being formed with spaced apertures and the longitudinal members comprising a single piece of strip material engaged through the apertures of the end walls and the transverse members comprising a single piece of strip material engaged through the apertures of the longitudinal side walls, and a plurality of game pieces comprising members which can pass through the apertures of the grid and which are of suflicient length to be at times disposed on a pair of said narrow members of said grid, whereby the game pieces can be placed either in playing spaces on the board or on the grid.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

1. A GAME APPARATUS COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR BOARD, UPSTANDING SUPPORT MEANS AT THE EDGES OF SAID BOARD, A GRID COMPRISING OVERLAPPED PARALLEL NARROW LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS AND PARALLEL NARROW TRANSVERSE MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID SUPPORT MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY IN A COMMON PLANE PARALLEL TO AND SPACED ABOVE SAID BOARD, DEFINING PLAYING SPACES ON THE BOARD BENEATH THE GRID AND ON THE GRID, AND A PLURALITY OF GAME PIECES COMPRISING MEMBERS WHICH CAN PASS THROUGH THE APERTURES OF THE GRID AND WHICH ARE OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO BE AT TIMES DISPOSED ON A PAIR OF SAID NARROW MEMBERS OF SAID GRID, WHEREBY THE GAME PIECES CAN BE PLACED EITHER IN PLAYING SPACES ON THE BOARD OR ON THE GRID. 